Car-coupling



(No Model.) I J E. BULL.

GAR COUPLING. No. 404,468. Patented June 4, 1889.

l l MW u-1am,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES EVERETT BULL, OF TRACY CITY, TENNESSEE.

a. CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,463, dated June 4,1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES EVERETT BULL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tracy City, in the county of Grundy and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic car-couplers; and itconsists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the endof a car with a draw-head embodying the invention attached. Fig. 2 is anend view of the car with said drawhead attached.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the end of a car, andB the draw-head attached thereto. The draw-head has the 1011- gitudinalrecess 1), of proper size and conformation, and has in its rear end walla central longitudinal opening for the passage of the long bolt 0, thehead of which rests against the inner end of the recess 1), ancLtheshank of which acts as a draw-bar, beingsurrounded by a coiled spring 0.The draw-head has in its floor a recess D for the point of thecoupling-hook, and in rear of said recess is the stop projection d forthe entering end of the link E. The inner surface of the floor of thedraw-head inclines downward and outward, as at e, from the recess D, inorder to permit the link to assume an inclined position to couple with adraw-head attached at a lower position on an opposing car.

F is the coupling-hook, provided with the downWardly-eXtending nose orpoint f, of suitable shape to engage in the recess D after passing intothe link, the downward extension f having a rounded end and pivotedconcentrically within the rounded recess f in the floor of the draw-headand extending downward from the recess b, and the longitudinal inwardprojection f 3 extending into the rccess b and pressed upward by theupper leg of the spring G,- secured by a transverse pivotal bolt g inrear of the coupling-hook, and with its lower leg 9 bearing upon thefloor of the recess 1) of the draw-head.

H is a transverse shaft journaled in bearings h, secured to the end ofthe car above the draw-head, and having the crank-arms h Applicationfiled September 18, 1888. Serial No. 285,735. (No model.)

it at its ends on the outer sides of the car, so that the brakeman canrotate said shaft from either side without going between cars.

I is a chain or rope having its upper end secured centrally to the shaftH, and its lower end attached to a staple 2', secured to thecoupling-hook on its upper side nearits outer end.

It is obvious that when the shaft H is rotated and the chain I woundthereon the coupling-hook will be lifted out of engagement' with thelink. When the nearer and approaching end of the link strikes upon theincline e of the draw-head, it rides up thereon and strikes against thefront edge J of the point of the coupling-hook, which edge inolinesdownward and inward. On account of said inclination the end of the linkraises the point of the hook and passes thereunder. I/Vhen the link haspassed in, the said point is forced by the spring G through the adjacentend of the link and engages in the recess D, thereby coupling the cars.

The point of the coupling-hook, when in the link, tends to hold thelatter horizontal, but not so firmly as to prevent it beingturned up ordown to couple with a draw-head of different height.

WVhen the coupling-hook turns up, its outer end passes up through anopening in the top of the draw-head. Having described my invention,Iclaim- The combination, with the draw-head B, longitudinally recessed,as at b, and having a vertically-communicating recess, and having thebottom recesses D and f of the hook F, having the end f fitting in therecess D and the depending portion f pivoted in the recess f andextended to form the rearwardlyprojecting shoulder f and of thetransverse shaft 9, mounted in the rear end of the longitudinal recess1), and the V-shaped spring G, having its angle bent to form ashaft-embracing eye, and one terminal bearing against the bottom of therecess 1) and the other against the under surface of the shoulder f ofthe hook, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JAMES EVERETT BULL.

Witnesses:

W. E. BYERs, T. B. LOCKHART.

